For Shasta627 -who really wanted another Teddy/Kathleen story. You're the best! :)
Kathleen was officially sixteen-and-a-half, and she had a secret. Well, it really wasn't a secret—her parents knew all about it, as did her nineteen sisters and their families. In reality, it was only a secret from three people: Morgan, Merlin, and most importantly, Teddy.
Kathleen's parents wanted to betroth her to her best friend. They thought they were being gracious, allowing her to stay in Camelot and continue her magical education. And it was nice—Kathleen had no desire to marry a fisherman from Avalon. But how in the world was she supposed to tell Teddy that according to her folks, they were going to be married? In the six months since her birthday, she'd plotted out a million ways to broach the subject to her fellow sorcerer-in-training. Though he'd asked what her mother had said to her on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, she'd only mentioned that her parents had agreed to postpone her betrothal.
Apparently, he'd sensed she wasn't telling him something—because he hadn't quite let the subject drop completely, but Kathleen couldn't bring herself to confess. Feeling torn apart by the secret, she'd almost revealed it a hundred times. But each time she decided she was going to go for it, that she was going to tell him then and there and be done with the secretiveness, her mouth couldn't quite summon the words, and she usually ended up fleeing the room after mumbling something intelligible.
It was awful.
Kathleen had pondered the idea of marrying Teddy for six months. She was quite accustomed to it, the shock no longer a factor. However, her comfort with the situation only made it harder to tell him. How would he respond? She had been allowing herself to fall in love with her friend, but if he said no…
Kathleen's mouth went dry just thinking about if he said no. Her parents still wanted her to be married; ever since her sister, Kali, had her wedding, Kathleen had been the only unmarried child out of twenty. And in selkie families, marrying young and continuing the rare selkie line was of utmost importance.
Kathleen's anxiety had tempted her several times to ditch this sentiment entirely, to turn her back on her family's traditions and live out her own life the way she wanted. However, deep down in her heart, she knew she couldn't upset her parents like that. She loved her family, and as fun as it would be to rebel in the moment, she didn't want to lose her familial ties in the process. She was a good girl, a good daughter. At the end of the day, she would do what her parents wanted her to do, even if that meant getting married in two-year's time.
Of course, eighteen-and-a-half wasn't that young. Not compared to other girls in the town, or even some of her own sisters. Three of Kathleen's siblings had been married days after their sixteenth birthdays. Waiting until she was almost nineteen was unheard of.
But then again, none of her sisters had been betrothed to their best friend.
Teddy's parents had both passed away when he was young—they weren't around to play interference with Kathleen's parents. Which meant that marrying Kathleen was entirely Teddy's choice. And it was up to her family to arrange the betrothal.
Kathleen had begged her mother to let her tell Teddy—that he would take it best coming from her. However, six months later, she was seriously having second thoughts. Maybe she should just tell her dad to talk to him…
But that would be the coward's way out. Kathleen couldn't do that. She owed it to Teddy to tell him herself.
And so, that was her ongoing dilemma. How to tell him. When to do it.
Kathleen figured she would have gray hairs before the year was out.
Currently, she was standing in Merlin's library, watching her companion—and maybe, hopefully, soon-to-be fiancé—practice nonverbal spells. Teddy had been silently staring at the wall for over an hour, so she figured it wasn't going all that well.
"'Tis time for a break?" she suggested, walking over to his side. His concentration broke and he turned to grin at her.
"Aye! I've been waiting for you to say that." He groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Waiting for hours actually."
"'Tis only been one hour and twelve minutes," said Kathleen, checking the time on Merlin's intricately designed sun dial sitting outside the window. "But I am hungry—we can fix lunch for Merlin."
"Excellent plan," Teddy pushed the spell books to the side and looped his arm through Kathleen's, leading them both into the kitchen, where they proceeded to joke around and playfully tease each other over the chopping of vegetables.
"No, no…like this," Teddy demonstrated, holding the knife at such a bizarre angle Kathleen was sure he was on the verge of chopping off his entire hand.
"I think not," she stole the blade from him, elbowing him to the side. Holding the knife normally, she sliced a carrot. "Like that."
"Your way 'tis interesting, but I know of an even better way," he teased, his eyes glittering mischievously.
Kathleen glanced up at him, her throat strangely dry as she stared into his smile. Quite honestly, she didn't know when he'd grown taller than her—or when his casual grin had started doing funny things to her head. But, as usual, whenever she caught herself thinking of Teddy even slightly romantically, she had to remind herself nothing was certain. He could still say no. And in that case, her parents would probably marry her off to some old butcher or sailor. Kathleen instantly stopped admiring her friend and instead started panicking.
Teddy didn't notice. He skipped into the library and returned a moment later with a book titled Household Order: Magic. "Let us hope this goes much better than the spell I tried last week."
Kathleen pushed her worries aside momentarily as she recalled the horrible mop that had chased them around the library for a solid nine minutes.
"Indeed. Let's hope."
Teddy pointed at a page that talked about setting knives to chop vegetables autonomously. "'Tis another nonverbal spell. This may take a while."
Kathleen shook her head. "In that case, we should've started the soup yesterday."
"Oy! I'm not that terrible!" Teddy protested, indignant.
"No…" Kathleen patted the back of his hand and felt herself grinning as well. "You're not terrible at all."
They were smiling at each other when Merlin walked in.
Kathleen withdrew her hand so quickly Teddy blinked at her in confusion. Merlin didn't comment, but instead placed a slip of paper on the table and sat down, looking deep in thought.
Teddy reluctantly closed the spell book and addressed the wizened man. "Is everything all right, Merlin?"
Kathleen set down the knife as Merlin frowned.
"I just received word from Morgan…She is deep undercover again, still searching for the dark wizard who was trying to kill me with that jeweler's poisoned necklace."
"Has she made any progress?" Kathleen asked, a flutter of worry creeping over her as she thought about Teddy—who'd been poisoned in Merlin's stead.
"She didn't say," Merlin replied. "But it sounded as if she'd be gone for a long while. She bid me to take over Teddy's apprenticeship indefinitely."
Teddy sounded concerned. "You will, won't you?"
"Of course I will. You have always been welcome here and that won't change. However, I am quite concerned for Morgan. I fear the situation is graver than I may have realized."
"Is there something we can do to help?" Kathleen asked. She didn't like seeing Merlin concerned. He always knew exactly what to do in every situation.
The old man thought for a moment, then nodded. "I would like you to return to Avalon for a few days. Both of you. Seek counsel there from Morag, the Spider Queen. I would like her to be warned against this dark sorcerer." Merlin nodded to himself, evidently making the plan up on the spur of the moment. "Perhaps she will have already heard of this villain, and she can provide some insight."
Teddy looked excited. "We shall leave straightaway!" He started glancing around the room, searching for his jacket before he seemed to think of something else. He turned to face Kathleen. "Will your parents be willing to host us in Avalon for the night?"
Kathleen forgot how to speak for a moment. The last time she'd talked to her parents, she'd told them she was going to let Teddy know about the plans for her betrothal. And that had been nearly a month ago. What if they assumed she had followed through with her plan? What if they thought he'd agreed, and they made some comment about the engagement?
Kathleen realized Merlin and Teddy were still watching her, waiting for a response. She glanced at the floor, trying to hide her discomfort. "Yes…er, they'll be happy to have us."
"Good," said Merlin. "After we have dinner, we'll open a portal to Avalon. While you're meeting with Morag, I shall go into Camelot and meet with King Arthur. If Morgan feels the situation is serious, I am duty-bound to at least alert the king of potential danger."
Teddy nodded, and hurried to a cupboard to grab bowls for the soup. Kathleen remained where she was though, feeling beads of sweat settle on her back. She was so terrified of meeting her parents again—with Teddy—that it was ridiculous. She would simply have to find some way to warn her parents, to confess that she still hadn't told Teddy. As long as her parents knew the situation, they would surely refrain from bringing up the topic of betrothals.
"Are you all right, Kathleen?" Merlin's voice jolted her out of her worrying. Kathleen realized she'd been standing there, still staring at the ground like it was suddenly worth studying. Feeling a blush creeping into her cheeks, she quickly nodded and hurried to help Teddy finish with the vegetables.
"If Morag does indeed know something, how should we reach you?" Teddy asked Merlin several minutes later. They were all sitting around the table slurping down the soup like it'd become a race to finish first.
Merlin swallowed, and then said, "If you do learn anything pivotal, come back to Camelot immediately. Head to the palace. I plan to stay in the city's center for at least a few days. If Morag does not know anything, simply warn Kathleen's family and enjoy a break from your studies." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Kathleen found herself encouraging her mentor.
"You need not worry, Merlin. We shall get to the bottom of this. As we always do."
"Thank you, Kathleen." He patted her hand and then finished off the rest of his soup. "I should start riding before it grows any darker. This summer light will fade quickly."
Using a nonverbal spell, he magically cleaned all the dishes. Teddy looked somewhat envious. "'Tis harder than it looks," he whispered to Kathleen, leaning close enough that his breath tickled her ear. Her nerves flared up again and she nearly choked on her last spoonful of soup. She was turning into a wreck.
Merlin gathered his cloak and a few miscellaneous items, then gave Teddy and Kathleen last minute instructions before he opened the portal. Without the wand of Dianthus, which was currently in Jack and Annie's possession, it was a lot more complicated to whip open gaps between the realms. However, Merlin was a force to be reckoned with. He didn't even need a wand. Kathleen liked to imagine that someday she and Teddy would be just as accomplished, able to open portals with nothing more than whispered words.
"Stay safe, and be on your guard," Merlin told them.
Kathleen had gathered a satchel full of clothes, spell books, and snacks. Teddy slung it over his shoulder as they waved to Merlin and then stepped into the undulating portal, hovering in the middle of the library.
The moment they stepped foot into the magic void, the library faded from view and Kathleen was hit with a blast of salty-smelling air. The ocean. As much as she loved Camelot and Merlin's library, she truly missed the waves and the gusty breeze that always brought scents of sand and fish…
"Welcome to Avalon," Teddy said, grinning as he glanced at the town below them.
Merlin's portals always opened on the outskirts of the city, away from suspicious villagers. Currently, the two sorcerers were standing on a rocky bluff overlooking not only the town, but the wide-open sea, illuminated by the fading pinkish rays of the sun.
It was beautiful. The type of perfect setting Kathleen had imagined for when she told Teddy the truth, the confession she'd been hiding for months and months. Overcome by the beauty of the scenic backdrop, he would of course agree to the betrothal, saying that he'd be delighted to marry her and that they'd live happily forever and ever.
Instead, Kathleen heard herself saying, "We ought to go before it gets dark."
The moment the words left her mouth, she sighed internally. So much for inspiration…
"Of course." Teddy turned toward a small foot-path leading down the hill. "Onward!"
Kathleen gave him a placating smile, too busy giving herself mental pep-talks to be amused by his favorite word. She needed to tell him as soon as possible. Once she got the secret out, she wouldn't have to stress over it. She could relax, knowing that the situation was out of her hands. It would be a relief. She could do it—right then—just like tearing off a bandage…
"Teddy," Kathleen started as they reached the foot of the hill, turning onto the main road through town. "I…I…have s-something to ask you."
Her voice squeaked on the last word and she cringed, thankful that the setting sun obscured some of the color flooding her cheeks.
"Yes? Ask away," said Teddy, slowing slightly.
"Well, er…" Kathleen gulped. "My parents were talking with me, about, er…"
"Yes?" he prodded again.
"Er…my betr—"
"Kathleen! 'Tis you?!"
The excited shriek interrupted Kathleen's confession and she whirled to see her closest sister, Kali, hurrying up the road.
"Kathleen! Teddy! How are you?" Kali cried excitedly, shifting the basket on her arm in order to give both of them a hug. "Oh, Kathleen! I have so much to tell you!"
Kathleen pushed away the panic over Teddy, and was happy to distract herself with Kali's affairs. Since Kali was only ten months older, the two had always been very close. It was almost strange to think that Kali was now grown-up, married, and living out a life of her own in Avalon. It was rather sad the more Kathleen thought about it. She missed her sister.
"—feels like you've been practically avoiding Avalon," Kali was telling Kathleen, chidingly. "But I suppose you have a lot happening in Camelot…" She trailed off and then winked knowingly at Teddy.
Kathleen's heart was speeding up at an alarmingly fast pace. "Er…you said you had something to tell me?"
Kali looked so excited she nearly dropped her shopping basket. "Yes! Oh, Kathleen! I should behave myself and not say anything in mixed company," she shot Teddy an apologetic look, "but Elian and I are going to have a baby!"
Kathleen's mouth felt strangely dry. She tried to offer her sister congratulations, but no words came out.
Fortunately, Teddy was quicker on his feet. "Wonderful. Congratulations, Kali."
Kathleen's sister was beaming. "Elian and I were never all that close while we were betrothed, but five months of marriage have changed everything. I actually love him! And seven months from now we shall have a son or daughter…" Kali's eyes grew glassy with her own happiness. Kathleen leaned forward and hugged her sister mutely.
She had been there for her sister's wedding. She had seen how nervous Kali was to be married off to Elian, a respected shopkeeper twelve years her senior. Kathleen was obviously thrilled that her sister was happy, and doing well, but suddenly Kali seemed even older than before. Definitely older than seventeen.
In comparison, Kathleen felt like a child. A silly child who couldn't even talk to her best friend anymore without having a mental meltdown.
"I'm so happy for you," Kathleen finally managed to tell her sister. "And for Elian. You both shall have the best family in the world."
Kali beamed again and wrapped an arm around Kathleen's shoulder as they started to stroll down the road. "Just think, in another few years' time, we shall both have children and they can be each other's playmates. Provided you remember to visit Avalon," laughed Kali, grinning again at Teddy—who looked devotedly concerned.
Kathleen was sure her face was on fire. She tried to casually laugh off her sister's statement, to act like it was a mere joke. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she could feel Teddy's intent gaze. She looked everywhere but him.
In a desperate attempt to change the subject, Kathleen told her sister about their quest to find Morag. "I had figured we would start tomorrow morning. We'll stay with Mother and Father in Selkie Cove for the night."
"Good. And then you must visit Elian and I again before you leave Avalon," said Kali. "I'm dying to show you our house—now that Elian's fixed the windows."
"Of course!" Kathleen promised, hugging her sister. "You'd better hurry home before it gets too much darker."
Kali waved a hand dismissively. "I'll be fine. Oh! I'm so thrilled I got to see you both. 'Tis been too long. And we still need to talk about the wedding plans!" She waved excitedly, but Kathleen grabbed Teddy's wrist and started walking away, pretending not to have heard.
But Teddy had. "Wedding plans? Who's getting married?" His voice was lower than usual, suspicious.
It was the moment of truth: another chance to confess…
"Oh, a friend of ours," lied Kathleen. "She was about the same age as Kali and I."
"Ah," said Teddy, though the suspicion wasn't entirely gone from his tone.
The rest of the walk to her parents' home was completed in silence. Waves crashed on the shore in the distance, and elsewhere in the town someone was singing a tavern song as they headed toward the caves in Selkie Cove. Teddy hadn't mentioned Kali's remark about Kathleen's future children, and for that she was thankful. She was pretty sure she would fall into hysterics if he so much as glanced at her.
By the time they reached the weathered cave-house, set into the side of the cliff on the edge of town, Kathleen felt like she'd aged a hundred years. Her parents were going to say something, she just knew it. But what could she do? Heart-thudding rapidly, Kathleen lifted a hand and knocked on the stone-set door.
There were footsteps inside. Kathleen was breathing heavily and she knew Teddy was again staring at her with concern. She ignored him and focused on a pebble in the dirt, forcing herself to study its gentle edges.
The door finally creaked open, revealing the narrow entryway to the well-furnished cavern. "Kathleen! Oh, and Teddy!" Kathleen's mother opened the door wider. "What an excellent surprise!" She sounded positively delighted as she welcomed them both inside with warm hugs. "I'm so excited to see you two—and I believe congratulations are in order."
Kathleen laughed anxiously and made frantic expressions at her mother.
"Er…yes, yes…congratulations. For Kali—and you! Can you believe this shall be your forty-fifth grandchild? That does not happen every day…"
Momentarily distracted from Teddy and Kathleen's upcoming nuptials, her mother expressed her excitement for Kali.
They all walked through the narrow passage at the mouth of the cave, which then expanded to the spacious, high-ceilinged cavern, divided into rooms by partitions made of driftwood and colored beach glass that caught the light and sparkled by day. Kathleen had missed her home. It was the gem of Selkie Cove.
Her father was waiting in the living space. He hugged Kathleen and Teddy, equally excited, though the way he shook Teddy's hand and gave him an expression of mock-sternness seemed to be weirding out Kathleen's companion.
"Have you had dinner? Would you like some leftover soup?" Kathleen's mother asked, heading for the kitchen.
"Oh, no. We already ate." Kathleen lost no time in explaining the purpose for their visit. "As much as I wish we could sit around and chat all evening, we mustn't let Merlin down. We have to speak with Morag and then return to Camelot. We have been quite busy there," Kathleen decided to add. "I haven't had time to do many things lately, so I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit or do what you wanted me to do," she said vaguely, giving her mother vivid facial expressions that Kathleen hoped conveyed the point she was trying to make.
Teddy, meanwhile, was looking more and more baffled.
"So you two haven't…" Kathleen's mother trailed off, a frown creasing her forehead.
Kathleen was shaking her head so adamantly she'd probably have a sore neck in the morning. "There is a dark wizard on the loose. I have been quite busy."
Kathleen's father glanced at the two of them, obviously noting Kathleen's anxiety and Teddy's bafflement. He seemed to understand as well.
"Yes. You have been busy," Kathleen's mother finally agreed, sounding disappointed. "Busy avoiding something that will only take ten minutes. Something I will do tomorrow if you decide not to fulfill your promise."
Kathleen's blood ran cold. Of course, she knew her mother was justified in her threat. Kathleen had received plenty of perfect opportunities to talk to Teddy. But instead she'd lied.
A lot.
With a gulp, Kathleen met her parents' gaze and nodded.
Her mother also nodded, apparently satisfied. "Well, then. I am still so happy you're both here. If you plan to head out first thing tomorrow though, you should probably get some rest now. Teddy," Kathleen's mother smiled fondly at Kathleen's bewildered companion. "Help yourself to any of the empty rooms—we have quite a few these days. We're actually thinking about letting boarders stay here."
"Really?" Kathleen asked. "Boarders in Selkie Cove? That would be…interesting." Truthfully, weird was a more accurate description, but Kathleen supposed having boarders was a sensible way to earn some extra money. Nevertheless, she felt old again for the hundredth time that night. Her childhood home was no longer her home. Strangers would be living in it. And she would be in Camelot. Her permanent home. Already, Avalon was beginning to feel like a familiar vacation spot.
Kathleen didn't know whether to start bawling, or be grateful she'd adapted to Camelot so well. She settled for telling her parents goodnight and walking numbly down the driftwood lined hall toward her old room—the room she'd once shared with Kali, Kelsi, and Kamilla.
Unfortunately, Teddy caught up to her next to a shelf made of shells. He glanced over his shoulder to watch her parents migrate back toward the sitting room, then he lowered his voice. "What's going on? Why are you acting…bizarre? And what are your folks expecting you to do?"
Kathleen tried to take a breath, but air seemed to be running away from her. She couldn't tell Teddy now. She just couldn't.
"I'll explain everything tomorrow, all right?" Her words were practically whispers, but she tried to say them with confidence. "'Tis fine, I promise."
Teddy stepped closer to her, still looking suspicious. "Are you sure, Kathleen?"
She swallowed tightly, then blinked into his green eyes. Her eyes had some green in them too. Which pretty much guaranteed that their children would have extra vivid green—
Kathleen stopped her thought there, an unnatural fear rushing over her. Was she really imagining having children—with Teddy? She was as bad as Kali. But she hadn't even asked Teddy about the betrothal yet. What if he said no?
Kathleen closed her eyes, blocking out her friend's stare. "Yes. I'm sure. I'm fine."
Teddy nodded and stepped back, his strange seriousness lessening into normalcy for one happy moment. "All right. Don't let the bedbugs bite."
"Hey, I grew up here," Kathleen retorted automatically, albeit a little breathlessly. "There are no bedbugs—don't you go spreading rumors, Balthazar."
Teddy just smiled at her use of his real name—known to few ever since he'd decided he preferred the nickname Jack and Annie had given him. "Goodnight, Kathleen." He wandered into a bedroom, partitioned by a thick screen of seaweed hanging in ribbons from the ceiling.
Tearing her gaze from him, Kathleen awkwardly waved and then ducked back to the sitting room, determined to apologize again to her parents. And then maybe, if she could forget that'd she'd promised Teddy to explain everything the following morning, maybe she could manage to get a few hours of sleep.